Day Nine Hundred Eighty One #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

I almost didn’t recognize him, he’d grown so much in the past year. But he had no difficulty recognizing me, and positively could not stand still in his excitement in our presence.

After a brief exchange he filled his water skins and begged us to remove our camp away to where he had set up.

It was a caution he always practiced. And as it proved, a more comfortable place to pass the night.

Today we filled the rest of his water skins and we set off for their place deep in the desert.

Mawuli explained that they have been stranded there for months now. Their numbers keep growing as his parents invite injured and castoff people into their group.

Advertisement

Day Eight Hundred Seventy Seven #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

The authorities had given up their recent strategy, and no longer attempted to locate us. Instead they hit on the idea of making us come to them. They wanted us to surrender in exchange for the remaining widows and orphans in their control.

Neither Meesa nor Jezer were amenable to letting us act on that offer.

I was of the same frame of mind, but none of us knew what Elijah’s thoughts were on the matter.

For he had not been appraised yet about their demand. He had sequestered himself late yesterday.

And such we thought was still the case.

Then all of a sudden we answered a knock at the door and Elijah entered, widows and orphans in tow.

Day Seven Hundred Twenty #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

Tomas made a couple of jaunts to our rear to head off any surprises from that quarter. Satisfied he changed his focus to the direction ahead.

In between two such forays Elijah collared him, whispered some instructions and sent him on his way.

I guessed that the thrust of their exchange had to do with the smudge that was then open to our view off to the right of our track.

I know I was curious about it.

It was quite some time before Tomas returned from his exploratory errand.

And I was correct Elijah had indeed dispatched him to discover what lay behind that ‘smudge.’

Tomas was excited. He wanted the Captain to return with him for a look.

Day Five Hundred Twenty Eight #DiaryoftheEndoftheWorld

At the end of my time in the special cabin today, I was comforted by the realization that it still looked and felt the same, but then I wondered for a moment was I still the same or have I changed. However I shook the notion off when I realized that I was falling to the temptation to judge myself and not placing my reliance where it should be.

A lesson learned long ago, but needing to be relearned. I am such a leaky vessel.

Tomas was coming in as I was going out. We had a brief exchange – momentous news from the bridge – the radio has sprung to life – a sign that the global authorities are extending their reach.